Wagon-body.



PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

J. S. STONE.

WAGON BODY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

AmIAmw'I/I/I/amW/IIJ Wifgzsses Patented October 25, 1904.

UNTTED STATES PATENT EEicE.

JOHN S. STONE, OF EDGrERTON, MISSOURI.

WAGON-BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,239, dated October25, 1904.

Application filed January 2, 1904. Serial No. 187,575. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN S. STONE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Edgerton, in the county of Platte and State of Missouri,have invented a new and useful VVagon-Body, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to wagon-bodies; and it has for its object toprovide a wagon-body for general use which may be readily converted soas to be useful for a variety of purposes-such as, for instance, forhaulingdirt or manure, for hauling corn, grain, or other products, andwhich shall also be convertible to serve as a hay-rack.

With these and other ends in view the invention'consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will behereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of awagon-bod y constructed in accordance with the principles of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View of the same, showingabottom constructed of movable planks. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalview taken through the rear end of the wagon-body and showing a solidbottom and means for connecting the same with the bed. Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view showing the device converted into a hay-rack.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similarnumerals of reference.

The main frame of my improved wagon-bod y is composed of a pair of sidepieces or sills 1 1 of suitable dimensions, said sills being preferablymade quite stout in order that the device may be enabled to resist roughusage. The sills l 1 are connected at intervals by crosspieces 2 2,secured to the under sides of said sills. An additional cross-piece 3 isalso secured to the rear side of the rear cross-piece, and the ends ofsaid cross-piece 3 are extended beyond the outer edges of the sills,forming brackets 4, the use of which will be hereinafter-described.

The parts thus far described constitute the bed of the wagon-body, andit is adapted to be supported in the ordinary manner upon the bolster ofan ordinary truck. The latter being no part of the invention has notbeen shown in the drawings.

When the device is used for hauling lumber, cord-wood, or the like, thematerial to be hauled may be supported either longitudinally upon thecross-pieces 2 2 or transversely upon the sills 1 1 of the bed. If loosematerial, such as dirt or manure, is to be hauled, I provide the bedwith a bottom composed of a plurality of longitudinally-disposed plankssupported upon the cross-pieces 2 between the sills 1 1, a sufficientnumber of planks being used to form asolid body. These planks, whichhave been designated 5, will support loose material dumped thereon andwill greatly.

assist in rapidly unloading the material hauled by simply tilting orcanting the planks successively from under the load, as will be readilyunderstood. A bottom of this construction may be used independently orin connection with the side pieces and end-gates of the box, which willbe presently described.

For general purposes I provide my improved wagon-body with a bottom 6 ofsuitable size to fit between the side sills and having on its undersidea plurality of cross-pieces 7 which may serve to connect the separateplanks which usually enter into the construction of said bottom. Thecross-pieces 7 are obviously so disposed as not to interfere with thecross-pieces 2, which connect the sills, and the rear cross-piece 7 hasa rearwardly-extending pin 8, adapted to engage a recess 9 in the rearcross-piece 2. When the bottom is placed in position, it will be seenthat the engaging pin'S serves to retain the rear end of said bottom inposition against vertical displacement, thus preventing unnecessary andobnoxious rattling, The front end of the bottom will be retained partlyby the weight of the driver and also when the wagon-body is completed bymeans of the front end-gate, as will be presently shown.

Each of the side sills is provided at intervals with outwardly-extendingeyes 10, adapted for the reception of hinge-hooks 11, connected with theside pieces 12 of the wagonbody. Each of said side pieces is provided onits inner side with cleats 13 for the accommodation of the front andrear end-gates, and each of said side pieces is likewise provided withstraps 1 1-, disposed against the outer sides thereof. provided at theirupper ends with hooks 15, engaging over the upper edges of the sidepieces 12 and bent laterally at their lower ends to form the hinge-hooks11, to which reference has already been made. The straps 1 1 may beflat, round, or of any other suitable shape, the hook portions 11 being,however, preferably round to enable the sides 12 to swing freely in theeyes 10, which form the bearings for said hooks. The straps 14: may beattached to the side pieces 12 by means of bolts, rivets, staples, or inany other suitable and convenient manner. I prefer to provide one ormore of the hinge members 11 associated with each of the side pieces 12with perforations 16 for the reception of cotterpins or other suitableretaining means. Each of the side sills 1 is also provided at suitableintervals with sockets or brackets 17 for the reception of stakes 18,which when the sideboards 12 are employed serve to retain the lattersecurely in position against upward displacement.

End-gates of ordinary construction may be used in connection with myimproved wagonbody. One such end-gate has been shown at 19 at the frontend of the box. At the rear end of the box 1 have shown a shovelingboard20, having sides 21, which engage the side-boards of the wagon-bodyexteriorly and which normally rest upon the cross-piece 8, having theextended brackets 1. The detailed construction of the shoveling-boardhas not been shown, as it forms no part of the present invention. Whenan end-gate is used, the side-boards of the wagon are connected, in theusual manner, by means of an ordinary wagon-rod 22, having a nut 23,provided with a handle 24:. It will be noticed that the endgate 19 isprovided at its lower corners with recesses for the accommodation of thesills of the wagon-bed, thus causing the lower edge of said end-gate toabut upon the bottom. The front end of the bottom is in this mannersecured against displacement.

In order to convert my improved wagonbody into a hay-rack, the end-gatesare removed and the sides are permitted to drop down to either side. 1norder to support the side members, I provide a plurality of crosspieces26, each of which is provided on its under side with a pair of blocks27, having outwardly-extending hook members 28. The cross-pieces 26 aresupported by the blocks 27 upon the upper sides of the sills, and thehook members 28 are caused to extend under the inner hinged edges of theside members. The latter are provided near their outer edges withperforations for the reception of bolts 29, whereby they are connectedwith the crosspieces 26, near the ends of the latter, said crosspiecesbeing also provided with bolt-holes alining with those in the sidemembers. The under sides of the ends of the cross-pieces 26 are slopedupwardly, so that the side members when connected therewith will beslightly inclined in an upward and an outward direction from thewagon-body. I preferably provide the side members at the places wherethe boltholes are formed with reinforcing-plates 30, of metal, saidreinforcing-plates being preferably extended vertically across the innersides of the side members. when the cross-pieces 26 have been placed inposition and the side members have been connected therewith, I secure,by means of bolts or otherwise, an inverted\l-shaped frame orbinder-yoke 31 at the front end of the wagon-bed, the inclined sides ofsaid frame being preferably bolted to the side sills 1. Standards 32 maybe bolted near the rear ends of the sills 1 when the device is used as ahay-rack for the purpose of preventing the load from sliding.

My improved wagon-bed is susceptible of other modifications, which I donot deem it necessary to herein illustrate. It may be mentioned,however, that by using properly-constructed side pieces of suitableheight the device may be readily converted into a stockrack, also thatwhen the device is used as an ordinary wagon-box for hauling grain andthe like extension-boards may be placed upon the side-boards in theusual well-known manner.

1 have in the foregoing described a simple and preferred form ofembodiment of my invention; but I desire it to be understood that I donot necessarily limit myself to the structural details herein set forth,but reserve the right to any changes, alterations, and modificationswhich may be resorted to within the scope of my invention withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing the utility of the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A wagon-bed comprisingside sills, connecting-pieces secured to the under sides of said sills,the rear connecting-piece being pr0- vided with a socket at its frontside and a bottom provided on its under side with crosspieces, the rearcross-piece having a pin engaging the socket in the rear cross-piece ofthe bed.

2. A wagon-bed comprising side sills and cross-pieces secured to theunder sides of and connecting said sills, a bottom having crosspieces onthe under side thereof, a pin extending from the rear cross-piece andengaging a recess in the rear cross-piece of the wagonbed, side membersconnected hingedly and detachably with the sills, sockets upon the outersides of the sills, stakes engaging said sockets, cleats upon the innersides of the side-board, and a front end-gate engaging said cleats andhaving recesses at its lower corners to place the lower edge of saidend-gates in engagement with the bottom.

3. A wagon-bed having side sills provided IIS with outwardly-extendingeye members, in combination with side-boards provided on their outersides with vertical straps, hooked at their upper ends over the edges ofsaid sideboards and provided at their lower ends with hilrlige membersengaging the eyes upon the s1 s.

4. A wagon-bed having sills provided with outwardly-extending eyemembers, in combination with side-boards having hinge-straps hooked attheir upper ends over the edges of the side-boards, permanently securedto the latter by bolts or rivets and provided at their lower ends withhinge members perforated for the reception of cotter-pins or equivalentsecuring means.

5. A wagon-bed having side sills, side members hingedly and detachablyconnected with said sills, and cross-pieces having supportingblocksadapted to rest upon the sills and provided with outwardly-extendinghook members engaging under the hinged edges of the side-boards.

6. A wagon-bed having sills, side-boards hingedly and detachablyconnected with said sills, cross-bars having extended ends beveled upontheir under sides, and means for confor connecting the free edges of thelatter with the extended ends of the cross-bars.

8. A wagon bed having sills and crosspieces, a bottom havingcross-pieces on its under side, means for connecting the rearcrosspieces of the bed and the bottom, a frame adapted to be mountedbetween thefront ends of the side sills and to bear upon the front endof the bottom, side-boards hingedly connected with the sills, and meansfor sustaining said side-boards in an outwardly and upwardly inclinedposition.

In testimony that I claim theiforegoing as my own I have hereto aifixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses. v

JOHN S. STONE.

Witnesses:

R. W. BERRY, A. O. HAMILTON.

